El Paso County GOP election sends clear message

Congrats to Kay Rendleman and her team on a rousing win against the incumbent-backed slate for El Paso County GOP leadership positions. The county party central committee elected Rendleman as chair and Nancy Meadows as secretary. Though Colorado Springs City Councilman Darryl Glenn didn’t run on the Rendleman slate, he won county GOP vice chair and will work well with the new leadership team.

The election sends a clear message from the grassroots of the party: If Republicans are to win back seats, the rules and bylaws must be followed — and grassroots activity, new technologies and new blood in the party must be embraced.

In other words, conflicts of interest, favoritism and pre-judging by the party leadership of who “should” win a primary no longer will be tolerated. (Is state GOP Chair Dick Wadhams listening?)

Considering the slim margins of victory in these races, it’s clear that Rendleman and Meadows would NOT have won without reaching out to embrace the Liberty-Loving Coloradans in the county GOP, a/k/a “those Ron Paul people,” about whom the outgoing party leadership always seemed paranoid, i.e., that they “might be planning some sort of disturbance!” (Remember the motto, “If you haven’t heard a good rumor by noon, START one!”)

Our NEW party leadership team must be one of principle, willing to give equal time without prejudice for or against qualified candidates, and forward-thinking enough to both include new entrants to the party and embrace new technologies to build support for Republican candidates.

Kay Rendleman is truly “Ready to Lead,” and I am ready to follow her.

Joseph Woyte,
Delegate to 2008 El Paso County and Colorado State GOP assemblies